inuous struggle against the dangers of
landslips, fires, inundations, explosions of firedamp, like claps of
thunder. One had to guard against all those perils! You say well! It was
a struggle, and consequently an exciting life."

"The miners of Alva have been more favored than the miners of Aberfoyle,
Mr. Starr!"

"Ay, Harry, so they have," replied the engineer.

"Indeed," cried the young man, "it's a pity that all the globe was not
made of coal; then there would have been enough to last millions of
years!"

"No doubt there would, Harry; it must be acknowledged, however, that
nature has shown more forethought by forming our sphere principally of
sandstone, limestone, and granite, which fire cannot consume."

"Do you mean to say, Mr. Starr, that mankind would have ended by burning
their own globe?"

"Yes! The whole of it, my lad," answered the engineer. "The earth would
have passed to the last bit into the furnaces of engines, machines,
steamers, gas factories; certainly, that would have been the end of our
world one fine day!"

"There is no fear of that now, Mr. Starr. But yet, the mines will be
exhausted, no doubt, and more rapidly than the statistics make out!"

"That will happen, Harry; and in my opinion England is very wrong in
exchanging her fuel for the gold of other nations! I know well," added
the engineer, "that neither hydraulics nor electricity has yet shown all
they can do, and that some day these two forces will be more completely
utilized. But no matter! Coal is of a very practical use, and lends
itself easily to the various wants of industry. Unfortunately man cannot
produce it at will. Though our external forests grow incessantly under
the influence of heat and water, our subterranean forests will not be
reproduced, and if they were, the globe would never be in the state
necessary to make them into coal."

James Starr and his guide, whilst talking, had continued their walk at
a rapid pace. An hour after leaving Callander they reached the Dochart
pit.

The most indifferent person would have been touched at the appearance
this deserted spot presented. It was like the skeleton of something
that had formerly lived. A few wretched trees bordered a plain where
the ground was hidden under the black dust of the mineral fuel, but no
cinders nor even fragments of coal were to be seen. All had been carried
away and consumed long ago.

They walked into the shed which covered the opening of the Yarrow s